


Circle Made Complete

by auselysium



Category: Coronation Street
Genre: Fluff, M/M, kid talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:26:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9294347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auselysium/pseuds/auselysium
Summary: Billy joins Todd at the Platt's while he takes care of his Godson, Harry.  It leaves Billy wanting to have important conversations about what their future could hold together.





	

Billy:

_ I just got home.  Where are you? _

 

You:

_ Last minute babysitting for Harry _

_ Front door is open; come over _

_ QUIETLY PLS _

 

“Todd?”  Billy peers tentatively around the corner of the door into the Platt’s sitting room.  It feels strange just to come in, uninvited.  When he hears nothing but the pitchless hum of the refrigerator, the semi-darkness of the early evening only adding to the hush, he says louder “Hullo?”

And then it comes, a long “Shhh,” not an admonition but a balm, and the creak of a floorboard upstairs.  Billy cranes his head looking up towards the second floor landing and can just make out the figure of Todd shrouded in warm darkness with baby Harry in his arms.

It looks like the most natural thing in the world, to him.  One strong arm laid across the whole length of Harry’s back, his hand supporting his little bum, Harry’s head resting in the crook of his elbow.  He uses his older hand to hold a bottle at what Billy assumes is just the right angle while he sways back and forth at a calming pace.

“Thank god you’re here,” Todd whispers as Billy makes his way up the steps.  Billy follows him into the nursery, the small room lit only by the glow of a rocket ship shaped night light.

“I’ve been trying to get this one to sleep for nearly an hour and each time I put him down he starts fussing again but I have never needed to take a piss so badly in my life.  Can you take him?”

“Uhh…”  

But Todd’s already transferring the drowsy bundle into Billy’s arms.  

“Bless you, father,” Todd says, giving him a hasty kiss on his cheek before scurrying to the nearest loo.

Billy is fully aware he lacks any of the same baby-whisperer grace Todd seems to inexplicably posses.  He can feel the uneven tension in his shoulders as he tries to resettle Harry’s warm, compact body in his arms.  He doesn’t quite know what to do with the nearly empty bottle, how he should tuck the small yellow blanket around him. He stands slightly helpless in the middle of the room and hopes Todd comes back soon.

The unexpected shift from Todd’s warm embrace to Billy’s unfamiliar arms was enough of a change that little Harry’s pale eyes flutter open.  He’s still got his blanket and his lips are still wrapped around his bottle, so this new guy can’t be all bad.  But then he looks up at Billy face, and as if it slowly dawns on him that he doesn’t know Billy a whine forms at the back of his throat and tears form at the corner of his eyes.

“Oh, no,” Billy reacts with a bit of panic.  “No, no, shh...It’s ok.”

“What’s happened?”  Todd asks, coming back in the room.  Billy melts with relief.

“I don’t know.  I think he can probably tell the only time I hold babies is when I’m dumping them with holy water.”  He turns to give Harry back to Todd, but Todd steps away with a smile.

“No. You’ve got this.”

Billy rolls his eyes as Harry’s wails become more clearly defined cries. “Hardly.”

“Just relax, yeah?”  Todd plants his hands on Billy’s shoulders, helping release the tension.  As soon as he does, Harry’s body feels heavier in his arms, more relaxed.  Todd expertly takes the bottle from his lips and slips a pacifier into his mouth instead.  “There you go, little man.  It’s alright, HP.  Time to sleep, yeah?”  

Billy watches with wonder as Todd croons down at him, his voice gentle and low, his fingers trailing over Harry’s fine blond, hair.  Almost immediately, Harry’s cries subside and his eyes droop.  

Todd nods towards Harry’s crib and Billy carries him over.  “Don’t put him down yet,” Todd says as he follows close behind.  “Rock him a bit.”

When Billy only stares at him with open mouthed confusion, Todd steps behind him with a small laugh, “Like this.”

Todd’s body is a steady presence, his hands firm on his hips. And he sways them, back and forth slowly, almost as if they are dancing.  Billy has to remind himself there is a small innocent child in his arms, and any impure thoughts he’s having with Todd pressed flush against him are completely inappropriate.

They stay that way, the three of them, for several long, precious minutes.  Occasionally, Todd makes another noise of comfort as Harry falls  into a deeper sleep or he tucks his head into the angle of Billy’s shoulder as Billy leans into his touch.  He feels close to Todd in the quiet of Harry’s room.  Close and at peace.

“I think we’ve got him.”  Todd steps around to help Billy lay him in the crib, a challenging maneuver even for the most seasoned parents.  “Bummy first, then his head.”  He instructs, even while he lets Billy do the work.  

Once Harry is safely tucked in, his stuffed bear watching guard by his feet, Todd pulls Billy against him once more, his hands splayed across his abdomen as they watch their charge sleep.

“See,” he says, voice full of pride, “Told you, you could do it.”

 

*

Later, the white noise of the baby monitor clear beneath the murmur of the telly, Billy hands Todd another bottle of beer and joins him back on the couch.

“So where’d you learn all those ‘Father of the Year’ moves?”

“Godfather of the Year,” Todd corrects.

“No, I mean it.  I was properly impressed up there.  You looked like an old pro.”

Todd’s face falls into a bashful grin.  “Well, Bethany wasn’t that much older than Harry is now when Sarah and I were playing happy families.  I had plenty of late night nappie changes and drying of tears after a bad dream.”

Todd shifts so Billy they can cuddle on the couch together.  Billy slides between Todd’s legs, his head falling back onto Todd’s shoulder.  Todd’s free arm comes around his torso and Billy paints slow shapes with this fingers against his skin.  Their bodies rise and fall with each of Todd’s easy breaths.  It reminds him of that moment upstairs.  Harry in his arms.  Todd pressed behind him.  For one flash of a second Billy had wondered if that is what it would feel like.  That closeness of a family circle made complete.

“It’s something you still want, init?”  Billy asks as few moments later.   He doesn’t need to look back at Todd to know the look he must have on his face.  

“Well,” Todd says after a long breath.  “When you’re expecting to be a dad at 19 and you lose that chance, I guess that readiness never really goes away.”

Billy looks over his shoulder at Todd just to make sure this talk of his lost son hasn’t taken him too far down the rabbit hole.  When Todd, whose eyes had remained firmly fixed on the telly until now catches Billy concerned look, he smiles quickly and kisses Billy’s hair.

Through the monitor they hear Harry cough, then make noises as he shifts around in his crib, only to resettle into silence once more.

“You ever think about it?  Becoming an actual father and not just one to your flock?”  He finishes with a patented Todd Grimshaw laugh, one that masks the true concern behind the question.

And for whatever reason, Billy feels compelled to sit up and turn towards Todd.  The answer he gives needs to be said to Todd’s face.  Because they haven’t talked about having a family, not really.  Todd’s mentioned it once or twice, usually with a long litany of all the things they’ll have to sacrifice since Billy went back to the church - living together, marriage, kids.  

But they haven’t had to sacrifice anything yet, at least.  They still live together in Todd’s childhood bedroom, waking up together each morning.  And though he hasn’t bought a ring or anything concrete, he feels with overwhelming certainty that that is on their horizon.  But kids...that was never part his life plan.

“If I’m honest,”  Billy winces.  “No.”

“I figured,” Todd says.  He moves to the corner, legs crossed, and starks scanning through the channel guide.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t…”

“No, Billy, it’s fine.” But there is a sharpness in his voice makes it blatantly clear that it isn’t.  Billy looks on, pained.  “I’m not desperate, alright?  I’m not going start pressuring you to look at adoption websites or stop taking the pill without telling you or whatever,” He says will a sarcastic tone and a trivial wave of his hand.  “Besides, two gay dads?  One of whom is an Oxford dropout who never even had a father and the other who’s a vicar with his own fair share of daddy issues?  Can you say ‘therapy’?”  He snickers, but his face falls quickly.

“Or we could give a child a beautiful, morally-guided, loving, cherished life that we never got.  I think we’d make amazing parents.”

Todd’s frown softens to a moody pout as he turns to look at Billy.  Billy takes the chance to scoot closer, putting his arm across the back of the sofa.  

“It’s true, I’ve never thought about having kids, but I also never thought I’d have a partner who I was thinking that long term with either.”  He flashes Todd a tender smile and all remaining grumpiness on Todd’s face melts away.

“I look at you, and I’m greedy, too.  I look and you and I want everything.”

Billy savors the way Todd has leaned in towards him.  His head tilted at a beautiful angle, his dark lashes falling across his cheeks as he bares his heart.  

Todd presses his lips together, eyes snapping up.  “But it’s not a deal breaker for me if you don’t.”

“It’s not a deal breaker for me that you do.”

Finally, a wide smile.  

“So, what, we just leave this conversation open?”  Todd asks.

“As far as I’m concerned, Todd, our whole life is wide open.”

With one last lingering look at this gorgeous man that he somehow has the privilege to love, the honor of sharing these honest, mature conversations, Billy rests his thumb on Todd’s jaw and kisses him with presence and intention.  

It doesn’t take long for Todd to have him pulled on top of him, their bodies long against each other.

“When does Sarah get back?”  Billy pants against Todd’s lips.

“Not bloody soon enough,” Todd says against his neck. “Because I don’t care how turned on I am, I cannot fuck you on Gail Platt’s couch.”

Billy laughs, rumbling deep in his throat.  “Put a bookmark in this, Mr. Grimshaw.”

“Noted, Mr. Mayhew.”  Billy kisses Todd once more for the road and sits back just as a cry pierces through the baby monitor.  

“Now I’m really glad we weren’t more invested in that.  I’ll go,” he says with a calming breath, adjusting himself through his jeans as he stands.  Billy grabs his wrist.

“No, let me.”  He stands, meeting Todd’s confused look with a proud smile.  “I need the practice.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a nap with my little one and the peace that brings.
> 
> But also inspired by the two times we see Billy and Todd interact with Harry: Todd picks him up and easily soothes him. Billy looked so darn awkward.


End file.
